perennis Latin · revision 31617

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la per, la annus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [pɛˈrɛn.nɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [peˈrɛn.nis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''perennis''' (neuter perenne, adverb perenne); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[per|t=through]] and [[annus|t=year]] with the suffix [[m|la|-is]], “lasting through the year”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) The TLL reconstructs ⟨*per-atn-i-⟩ and compares the same formation in [[xum|perakne]], a quality of sacrificial animals.^(TLL)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan traces ⟨annus⟩ to [[itc-pro|*atnos|alt=*atno-]] and [[ine-pro|*h₂etnos|alt=*h₂et-no-]], from a root “to go, wander”, the year being what goes round.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^(de Vaan 2008) who in a prologue wishes the audience “perennial profit”.^(OLD 2012) Köbler's first source is Ennius.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its literal sense is “continuing through the year”, used above all of rivers and springs that never dry up, and of birds that stay all year;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Livy has the complaint that soldiers were made to serve all year round.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) More generally it is “constant, uninterrupted”, as of the fixed stars, and “lasting for many years, enduring”: Virgil speaks of a fame that is everlasting, and Cicero of talk about men that is not lasting.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ Church Latin glosses it “everlasting, eternal, perpetual”,^(Stelten 1995) and in Medieval Latin it also meant “heavenly”.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of constant profit.^(OLD 2012)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius.^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil of lasting fame.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 59 BC–17 AD – Livy of year-round service.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Medieval Latin – “eternal, heavenly”.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Continuing throughout the year; of rivers and springs, never failing, [[m|en|perennial]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|constant|alt=Constant]], uninterrupted, [[m|en|continual]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Lasting many years, enduring; [[m|en|everlasting]], eternal.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[perenniseruus]]

+ * [[perennitās]]

+ * [[perennō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[annus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}